For Massachusetts Farmers, How Many Markets Is Too Many?

A NEW KIND OF LOCAL

by: Nancy CohenJuly 16, 2014

Four decades ago there were fewer than ten farmers markets in Massachusetts. Today there are hundreds. That direct connection between consumer and farmer eliminates the middleman, so farmers earn more. But some farmers say as the number of markets grow, the number of customers isn’t keeping up.

Customers not only seek out food, but relationships with farmers – like Rich Pascale from Colrain, who’s selling heirloom tomato plants.

“They’re big, they’re late. And they crack and split,” Pascale tells customer Eddie Evans. “But once you put them in your mouth, you’ll be very happy.”

“Okay. That’s a good sales pitch,” says Evans, a civil engineer from Greenfield, who says he’s drawn to this market every Saturday.

“It’s really a good thing in a human kind of a way,” Evans says. “You know, it takes it out of the grocery stores and you hand your money to the guy who grew the stuff you’re buying.”

Supply growing faster than demand

While shopping for veggies, farmers market customers also patronize local businesses. So many towns want markets.

Jeff Cole is the executive director of the non-profit Mass. Farmers Markets. He says in the past decade, Massachusetts went from 100 summer markets to more than 250.

“We haven’t seen the same percentage growth in the number of people shopping at farmers markets,” Cole says. “We have seen a total increase of the number of people shopping at farmers markets a very significant amount, but not 150 percent increase.”

In western Massachusetts, some farmers say when there were fewer markets there was a good-sized customer base. But now more markets are competing with each other.

“It’s important that we continue to build the stronger markets,” says David Paysnick, farm manager of the Greenfield Community Farm.

Paysnick says that’s because it’s expensive for farmers to attend many markets.

“Between the staffing, the transportation, getting everything loaded and prepared and unloaded,” he says. “And it’s a lot of work and it’s better for us if we can do more sales at fewer markets than having to attend more markets to get the same number of sales.”

Caroline Pam from the Kitchen Garden in Sunderland sells at five markets a week.

“When people ask me about starting new markets, I encourage them to think very seriously about whether there’s actually a need for another market,” Pam says.

More than fruits and veggies

Six years ago Oona Coy and her husband started Northampton’s Tuesday market. The couple had just started farming, couldn’t secure a spot at an established market and envisioned one with a festive atmosphere. But there was already one in Northampton.

“We feel like it’s our obligation, as a new market to find new customers and to not scavenge customers from other markets and so we have been strategic about that,” Coy says.

As part of that strategy, Coy’s market reaches out through a weekly newsletter, Facebook, and a rewards program. Customers earn points they can redeem for a $5 token or gifts.

Like some other markets, this one raises funds to double the value of food stamps, bringing in new customers. Nadine Mathews from Huntington brings her two sons here.

“It’s the one that I found to be most friendly and they do the food stamp program which is wonderful,” Matthews says.

Small markets not exactly a cash crop

Matthews is buying tomato plants from Tevis Robertson-Goldberg of Crabapple Farm in Chesterfield.

“Its yellow and it’s got a slightly fuzzy skin with a slight blush on the end, so it looks almost like a peach,” describes Robertson-Goldberg.

Besides Northampton, he has also sold in small town markets, which he says residents love, but it doesn’t always work for farmers.

“You need to have enough vendors bringing enough products to attract the customers and it needs to be worth the farmers while to bring things to market,” he says. “And a smaller market, it’s a lot trickier to hit that balance.”

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[…] manager David Paysnick in New England Public Radio (WFCR) this morning? Here’s a link to the radio broadcast. Good case for reaching new customers for farmers’ markets and doubling SNAP benefits as they […]

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